Is Search Engine Optimization an Art or Science?

When it comes to improving your law firm website’s visibility, search engine optimization (SEO) plays a key role. But if you’ve heard anything about SEO, you’ve probably heard that it can be somewhat complicated and time-consuming.

Some marketers describe SEO as a science — something that they can master through the right formulas and algorithms. Others describe it more as an art form — something without clear rules or boundaries. So is SEO an art or a science — or is it both? 

SEO as a Science

Search engines like Google use complex, multi-faceted algorithms to determine what websites to display to users. When websites include certain elements, Google knows that those websites meet the requirements of the search query. 

Because of the inclusion of algorithms, many marketers view search engine optimization as a science. These are a few elements that support this viewpoint: 

Google Algorithms

Google’s search engine algorithms use mathematical models and algorithmic predictions to:

• Understand a user’s semantic search intent based on the keywords they included
• “Crawl” websites and determine their subjects/topics
• Match websites with user queries
• Rank websites in order of relevancy/how well they match the search query

As a result, learning the elements involved in this algorithm and applying them to a website is a direct way to increase the site’s search engine rankings. 

Keyword Analysis

Keyword analysis is another algorithmic strategy involved in search engine optimization. It’s the process of evaluating search terms relevant to your law firm and determining whether to use them within your content strategy. 

Google’s algorithm relies heavily on keywords to determine which sites to display in the search engine results page. A website that uses a keyword in the right concentration will rank high on the search results when users search for that keyword within their query. 

Like some other elements of search engine optimization, keyword analysis is very scientific. It involves research, testing, and data analysis. 

Importance of Numbers 

Google’s algorithm is numerical, so it makes sense that paying attention to numbers within a website would increase search engine rankings. For example, Google tends to rank websites higher when they stick to these optimal ranges for certain elements:

• Meta titles that are between 50 and 60 characters
• Pages that include a keyword within the first 100 words
• Meta descriptions that are between 150 and 160 words
• URLs that are no more than 115 characters
• Website loading speeds of four seconds or less

Hitting these targets can help the algorithms identify a website as a trustworthy and relevant option for a search query. 

Data and Tracking

Search engine optimization is a science in the sense that you can experiment with SEO elements on your website and track their success or failure.

SEO provides clear, definable data about the performance of a website in search results. You can use tools like Google Analytics to see exactly how your search engine rankings have changed since implementing SEO improvements, then use that data to inform your future decisions.  

SEO as an Art

When considering, “Is SEO an art or a science?” one must think about the elements of search engine optimization that don’t revolve around a specific algorithm. 

While many aspects of search engine optimization are mathematical and scientific, other elements are not an exact science. They require some creative imagination, skill, and technique to refine. 

Many marketers have created step-by-step guides to help business owners boost their search engine rankings. But even following these guides to a T doesn’t always produce the same results for everyone. This is because of the artistic element of SEO, which includes the following aspects:

Content Generation

Search engine algorithms prioritize websites with content that relates to users’ search queries. But if they only relied on relevance, they would rank a website containing only a list of lawyer-related terms at the top of the search results page. 

Instead, the content on a website should have some creativity and originality. It should flow intuitively and be easy to scan. It should sound professional and provide in-depth information to answer the user’s query. 

Search engines can distinguish between high-quality and low-quality content, but there aren’t specific, numerical elements that separate the two. Instead, in this sense, SEO values the artistry of content writing. 

User Experience

Google also examines user experience when determining website rankings. User experience encompasses a website’s intuitiveness, ease of navigation, loading time, design, and function. 

Websites that are relatively easy to navigate may rank higher than ones that are complex, load slowly, or don’t use an intuitive design. But “easy to navigate” isn’t an exact science. A user’s overall experience on a website is more of an art, as it can’t truly be measured. 

However, Google does consider the average amount of time a user spends on a website in its ranking factors. If the average user spends more than a few seconds on a website, the algorithm may assume it provides a good user experience.

E.E.A.T Factors

Google considers four important ranking factors within its algorithm that aren’t part of a scientific formula. These factors mainly examine the content on a website, and they include: 

• Experience: Does the content come from the writer’s first-hand experience? 
• Expertise: Does the content come from an expert perspective? Are the website owners experts in their fields — i.e., does a law firm have the necessary licenses, professional associations, etc.?
• Authoritativeness: Do other websites link to this website as an authoritative source for its topic or industry (i.e., link building)? 
• Trustworthiness: Is the content factually accurate? 

These ranking factors are not an exact science. Google collects a wide range of information about each factor, so adjusting one element on a website won’t necessarily impact its E.E.A.T. quality. 

SEO as Both an Art and a Science

Is SEO an art or a science? A successful SEO strategy views SEO as both an algorithmic blueprint for search rankings and one that requires skill, creativity, and originality to excel.

At Ten Golden Rules, we’ve spent years learning the most successful SEO strategies for law firms. Contact us today at 561-620-9121 for your FREE internet marketing audit and to learn more about our SEO services.